Physical Medicine and Medical Rehabilitation in “Restorative” Ophthalmology: Historical Stages and Development Prospects

Abstract

An overview of the historical stages of “restorative ophthalmology” is presented, taking into account the main directions of the concept of “Wellness of Healthy Eyes” in order to prevent and correct asthenopia in patients with visually strenuous work, based on a three-level system of prevention and correction of functional visual disorders. The first level is aimed at increasing the patient’s awareness of issues of vision protection and hygiene. The second level is aimed at reducing the adverse effects of environmental factors on the state of vision. The third level is realized in the form of methods of specific and nonspecific stimulation of the organ of vision. The urgency of considering a new scientific problem in ophthalmology related to the development of the concept of diagnostics and assessment of the therapeutic measures effectiveness from the standpoint of modern requirements for medical rehabilitation has been substantiated. It is proposed that a practical solution to this problem should be carried out through the development of qualificatory signs of the international classification of functioning, adequate questionnaires for assessing the “quality of life” in actual eye pathology (asthenopia,cataract), as well as an assessment of traditional (conservative, surgical) treatment from the standpoint of modern basic characteristics of medical rehabilitation (rehabilitation goal, rehabilitation diagnosis, rehabilitation prognosis, etc.). Conclusion. The most important task of medical focus is to preserve the functional state of the human operator’s visual analyzer at a level that allows performing professional activities with the required reliability and quality indicators.

Keywords

• visually strenuous work
• medical rehabilitation
• international classifi cation of functioning
• asthenopia
• cataract